Charlie Hunt, left, and Peter Hunt pose for a photo released along with an announcement that the former was taking over the parent company of ERA Key Real Estate. Photo courtesy of Hunt Real Estate

The parent company of Whittinsville-based ERA Key Realty has a new CEO.

Hunt Real Estate Corporation announced this week that Charlie Hunt has been appointed CEO, taking over from his father, Peter Hunt. He’ll be the fourth generation of Hunt family members to run the Buffalo, New York-based company.

“The industry has changed significantly and requires a new generation of leadership,” Peter Hunt said in a statement. “My son Charlie is uniquely positioned to continue building our organization’s prominence in all the regions we serve and beyond.”

Charlie Hunt was previously president of the company’s residential brokerage operations, leading its expansion into the Greater Boston market via acquiring the 12-agent Great Spaces ERA brokerage in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood.

With that acquisition, ERA Key Realty added its 15th office. Outside of Dorchester, its footprint covers MetroWest, southern Worcester County and Lowell’s southern suburbs with several hundred agents.

Peter Hunt will transition to executive chairman.

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead our company into its 115th year of continuous service to buyers and sellers of all forms of real estate and to expand our reach across all related elements of the industry,” Charlie Hunt said in a statement. “We have a powerful leadership team and the finest sales professionals in the business. Together we will continue to deliver exceptional real estate and homeownership experiences to our clients.”